Membership in either WGAE or WGAW is generally contingent on geography. If a writer is eligible for union membership, and the job that grants them eligibility has them work on the western side of the
Mississippi River, they are represented by the Writers Guild of America West. If the job is on the east side of the river, similarly, they are represented by the Writers Guild of America East. If a writer joins one union at the start of their career, and they move across the Mississippi River, they are not required to transfer to the other guild. They must remain in
good standing (pay all outstanding dues, pay off any loans taken out, etc.) with their original guild, and requesting a transfer between the unions is then optional. WGAW is the larger of the two unions, both in membership and support staff, and this is due to the history of film and television in the United States. At the time of the dissolution of the Screen Writers Guild in 1954, most television and film writing was done in Los Angeles. While this is still largely true, the Californian film industry has begun to shrink in recent years due to the collapse of the
streaming business model, and the rising
cost-of-living in California. Writers have been forced to either leave the industry or move to areas outside of Los Angeles they can afford. Some of these new production hubs, like
Albuquerque,
New Mexico, are still within the jurisdiction of the Writers Guild of America West, but the growing production hubs like
Chicago,
Atlanta, and
New Orleans are all under the jurisdiction of the Writers Guild of America East. ==Common activities==